Silhouettes of the family of Robert Wallen

Four hand-painted silhouettes (each 95 x 60 mm) dating from around 1840, mounted within a glazed wooden frame (C.R. Tompkins of Hay Street, Perth, c 1910). The subjects are identified in period hand verso: (left to right) Robert Wallen (of Oatlands and "Harlech", Hawthorn, Melbourne); Alexander Wallen (of Oatlands); Samuel Wallen (of Drumboe Abbey, Ireland); Henry Wallen, F.R.C.S. (of Drumboe Abbey, Ireland). A typed label reads: "ROBERT WALLEN and relatives. Lived at Harlech, Hawthorn, when the suburb was described as a 'village containing a population of a few hundreds, scattered over a large area which comprised two parks and many spacious paddocks'.... " Robert Wallen (1831-93) emigrated to Australia from County Donegal, Ireland with his family in 1852. He became a highly successful stockbroker and financier, as well as a respected journalist with columns in the Age, Leader, Argus and Australasian. He was mayor of Hawthorn Borough in 1878-79. Wallen was also a keen patron of the arts. He was elected president of the Art Union of Victoria (1882) and remained active in that organisation, as either president or vice-president, until his death. From 1889-93 he was a trustee of the National Gallery, Museums, and Public Library of Victoria. He endowed the annual "Robert Wallen Prize" (five guineas) for students of painting at the National Gallery School. (One of the recipients of this prize was Jane Sutherland). He commissioned - for his private collection - the first sculpture in bronze made by Bertram MacKennal: "Lyric Poetry", or "Sappho" (1891) is now in the collection Art Gallery of New South Wales. Ex Richard Berry Collection, Melbourne; previously by descent.